The last thing anyone heard Riley Strain say before he disappeared was that he was heading back to the hotel where he and his fraternity brothers were staying in Nashville, Tennessee. Strain was never seen again.
Strain, 22, a University of Missouri “Mizzou” senior, and his Delta Chi fraternity brothers were in Nashville for their Spring formal. Strain and his fraternity brothers arrived on Friday, March 8, 2024, and later that night, they were on Nashville’s Gay Street in the Broadway area, about a half-mile from the Tempo Hotel, where Strain and his friends were guests, NBC News reported.
According to WSMV, after Strain and his frat brothers were separated, his friends called him, and he told them he was walking the short distance back to the hotel. When those friends arrived back at the Tempo Hotel, Strain’s room key was there, but he was nowhere to be found. They searched other rooms, checked Strain’s SnapChat locations, and called Strain’s phone, but it was dead.
Riley Strain was asked to leave Luke Bryan’s bar
When Riley Strain and his fraternity friends parted ways, Strain had reportedly been asked to leave country singer Luke Bryan’s bar in Nashville’s Broadway area. According to WZTV Nashville, a bartender said Strain had been overserved and was visibly intoxicated. To date, Bryan’s bar, Luke’s 32 Bridge, is the last place Strain was seen.
However, the night he went missing, Strain’s cell phone data indicated he walked to the Tempo Hotel at around 9:45 after he was asked to leave Bryan’s establishment. About 45 minutes later, Strain’s phone pinged near Public Square Park, near the Gay Street area, close to the Cumberland River.
Riley’s Strain’s family rushed to Nashville
Days later, Nashville police hoped surveillance camera footage, bank transaction details, and possibly Apple Watch data might offer leads. On March 12, 2024, Nashville police released security footage of the college senior after he left Bryan’s bar. Strain appeared lost, but the glimpse offered few other details.
When Riley Strain’s parents learned their son was missing, they immediately traveled to Nashville to join the search. Strain’s mother, Michelle Whiteid, said, “We talk every day, multiple times a day. This is the longest I’ve ever gone without talking to him.” Meanwhile, Strain’s stepdad, Chris Whiteid, added, “We’re in a bad dream. Can we wake up? Please, just let us wake up.”
As of this report, the investigation into Strain’s disappearance was ongoing, and authorities announced they would search the river.
